1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical composition. More particularly, it relates to a medical composition which is capable of enhancing intestinal motility synergistically.
2. Description of the Related Art
A kampo preparation is composed of a combination of crude drugs. A large number of crude drugs are known as ingredients used in kampo preparations, and their actions in a kampo preparation are considered to involve not only an additive effect of independent action of each crude drug, but also their synergistic effect.
A kampo preparation, Daikenchuto is a formulation prepared as a hot water extract from a mixture of crude drugs, Ginseng, Zanthoxylum Fruit (Shansho) and Processed Ginger (Kankyo) at a certain ratio with the addition of maltose. While this has been used in abdominal pain mainly caused by the chill, recent reports show that it is effective in the treatment of paralytic ileus after peritoneotomy. Further, even in intestinal obstruction by adhesion, it is also reported that the combined use of Daikenchuto in the conservative therapy (drainage or evacuation by insertion of an ileus tube) improves the symptoms such as abdominal distension or nausea, reduces the necessity of surgical operation, and prevents recurrence of the intestinal obstruction.
The present inventor has noticed the prokinetic effect of Daikenchuto on the intestinal peristaltic motility and tried to identify the crude drugs that act effectively among the ingredients of Daikenchuto. As a result, the inventor has found that Zanthoxylum Fruit and Processed Ginger have such an effect but neither in itself exhibits such a prokinetic effect on the intestinal peristaltic motility as in Daikenchuto at the concentration contained in Daikenchuto.
It is important to find respective actions of the crude drugs contained in Daikenchuto or their components and the synergistic effect among the components, since finding an unknown synergistic effect among the crude drugs or their components as mentioned above clearly leads to a novel approach for treating diseases.